FINALLY

Well it's finally snowing much to the satisfaction of the locals, although many a competition has been cancelled hopefully they can make up for it with a longer season.  This is my mom this morning after dropping off the kids we walked through the woods.  It's now 21h30 and I just went for a walk and I love it at night, not a sound but just squeeking snow under your boots.  It's coming down thick and fast, we'll have to go luging in the morning with the kids.

SALLANCHES ILLUMINATIONS

We travelled into Sallanches last night to see the lighting of the Christmas tree and the opening of Advent calender.  They have 25 windows on the Mayors House, which is the central place in Sallanches where the Mayor holds office.  Every night at 6pm they open a window of the calender by lighting up the lantern.  It's very nicely done.

 So the window that are lit are the days passed in December already.

 Us waiting for the fireworks

 The whole town has the theme of polar ice, so everything is polar bears and penguins all in the windows and they all move.  Kids love them.

 Christmas presents alight in the tree above the open air ice rink.

This morning we awoke to wet weather and snow on the mountain.

SOCCER, GRANDMA'S AND CHRISTMAS TREES

Last week saw the last of the soccer matches for a while as the Winter ski season is upon us.  Samuel played here in Combloux which is my favourite place because I just love the view.

So we've been keeping a secret for a few weeks and that was the arrival of Grandma.  My mother got a great special on Ethiad airlines and decided to take it up and visit the kids.  Grandpa stayed at home - to cold, and Grandma came for just two weeks and returns in time to spend Christmas with Grandpa at home.  So we've been passing the week trying to keep a secret and I went to fetch the kids at school with Grandma on Tuesday.  They were very happily surprised.

Today it was Christmas tree day.  So everything is up and boy what job, the kids get into everything, fun though.

PANIC

Well there seems to be panic amongst the locals relying on snow for their income this year as we've had none, and usually are drowning in the stuff by this time.  Austria, Italy and Switzerland are exactly the same.  I'm sure once it arrives everyone will be moaning and awaiting spring again.  I seem to be feeling the cold more this year, I suppose I was euphoric last year at arriving and having a white Christmas I didn't notice, now it's a different story.  I am happy there is no snow for now - ssshhhhh don't tell the kids I said that they can't wait.

Going for a walk on Sunday, you can see the weather, just lovely.  It's about -6C in the mornings and 7C in the day, although yesterday it went up to 15C.   Samuel had spotted the snow guns working on the slopes so he begged to go lugging, so being the good parents that we are off we went.  Quiet nice, usually we pull them on sledges, this time they took their bikes.  Much easier.

These are called pelle, they are great because the fit in your backpack so you can take them anywhere, tricky for an adult with a larger backside and less agility because you have to lift your legs - a killer on your stomach muscles, but the kids seem to have it licked.

LE ROSTACHON

Well we decided to go out for lunch today with a friend of ours who said he'd found a little gem of a restaurant and boy was he right.  If the food was not good it wouldn't have mattered because the view of the Mont Blanc was incredible but the food was just as good as the view so it was perfect.  We sat outside 5C but the sun was warm and we had a tartiflette each - potatoes and bacon cooked in Savoie white wine and drowned in Reblechon (cheese). mmmmmmmm

 Seb and Manu suntanning

 Mont Blanc in all its splendour

The complete view

 Just a little pate, saucisson and Jambon sec to share for starters

 That's my Pelle it's called, and it's one each - steaming hot and cheesy, you are meant to eat this after hiking up to the restaurant and then snowshoe it down to work it off but ALAS no snow, what a shame.

Dessert and I was beaten couldn't eat it so my better half helped out of course........

 Manu tucking in

The happy couple

I had to include this, this is one of two chalets on one property, currently for sale at the generous price of 60 million euros.  Yip you heard correctly, it is the most expensive property in Megeve, owned by a Russian.  Imagine the commison on the sale you wouldn't have to work again.  Doesn't look so impressive from outside but it's whats inside that counts.

And finally to end the day I fetched the kids and took them for a walk to rid my thighs of cheese mainly, but the snow guns have been running all morning and we have a little mound of snow building on the Piste.  Still no snow here, but it's -6C every morning and a max of 8C in the day so it's cool, just not enough humidity to snow.  I'm sure its coming.

 Ben rolling down the mound this evening, it was only 5pm already dark.

The snow gun, it sprays a fine spray of water and the air freezes it into snow. 

COFFEE DATE

So today on dropping the kids off at school, it was -5C by the way, I was invited by my friend Caroline to coffee at the local restaurant.  The only one open in November because the whole town is closed and resting before ski season.  So I entered the bar and was met by 10 women and 1 man.  It went ok, I speak pretty good French now so it wasn't that but the locals here, and most of them aren't even born here, do not speak to foreigners, but I felt uncomfortable anyway.  The man was particularly rude then I found out he was from Paris so that goes without saying.  It takes a lot to move to a foreign country, speak there language, respect their ways but maybe it takes alot for them to accept a foreigner moving in on their turf, feels that way I must say.

Coffee in France usually costs between 1 and 3 euros and you require about 3 if you are from anywhere else other than Europe.  It is tiny, bitter, very dark, and has a fabulous mousse on the top, it tastes decadent and delicious and I urge you to drink it black even if you need sugar, milk spoils the whole cafe thing.  You won't catch the French walking around with a travell mug of coffee or even drinking out of a mug, NOPE the older and cracked the cup the better. 

ARMISTICE DAY

Rememberance day today so no school, but we were asked by the principal to pay our respects at the church with the rest of the school.  So off we marched.  It was such a beautiful morning, blazing sunshine, we were all over dressed and started removing scarves and jackets.  I am surprised at how many names I recognised on the war memorial, sir names belonging to kids at school, families that go way back.  The youngest was 21 the oldest 41. 

 Small crowd but Praz is not a big place.

 Sam at the end of the group with his French flag.

It appears by the state of the woods that Autumn has come and gone leaving bare trees and a very low running river.